Westchester High students and teachers hold artistic showcase at Graphaids

For the second time this year, students and teachers from Westchester High School collaborated with a local art store in a musical and artistic showcase that featured paintings, drawings and music from the school’s newly formed jazz band.

Dubbed “Showcase II,” the May 9th event at the Westchester branch of Graphaids Art Supply featured some of the same young artists who participated in the first exhibit on March 28th, which was also held at the art supply store.

The second exhibit included the work of Floyd Bell, a long-time Westchester High teacher who is known in artistic circles for his colorful and decorative wooden dolls.

Bell, who has displayed his dolls internationally and has dolls in permanent collections in Europe, teaches woodworking at the high school.

Many of Bell’s students also displayed their own works of art.

Leila Levi, who has taught painting and drawing at the high school for seven years, displayed some of her second semester students’ works along with her own demonstration pieces.

She said this exhibit was a little different than the one in March.

“The group that showed was a whole new group of kids this time,” she said.

Some students showed still-life projects they worked on in Levi’s class.

Graphaids Art Supply, at 7280 Manchester Ave. in Westchester, is participating in a collaborative partnership between businesses and the high school that will benefit Westchester students in their quest for academic excellence, said a spokesman.

Florence Bracy, communications director of a local parent advocacy group called Parents of Westchester with Orville Wright, or POWWOW, said at the first exhibit that the school would be seeking partnerships with other local businesses.

A jazz band led by Eric Hankey, a former Westchester High student, served as the musical accompaniment to the art exhibit.